Through the Eyes of a Child -
A Cardon Children's Covenant
A Cardon Children's Covenant
“What will I become?” It’s one of life’s most important questions. And whether you are a child, a teenager, a grown up, or even an organization, the answer is important because it’s a vital part of our endless search for meaning.
So what will you become? It depends a lot on how you see things.
If you look through the eyes of the skeptic, you may become frightened.
If you look through the eyes of the realist, you may become jaded.
If you look through the eyes of the expert, you may become controlling.
But what would you become if you looked through the eyes of a beginner? Through the eyes of possibility? In other words, what would we become if we looked through the eyes of a child?
In a kid’s world, they see a land of wonder, of constant miracle, of unending surprise. And the only word that describes it is “WOW!” Children are easily amazed and always amazing. They can create for themselves a magical place where nothing is too outrageous and everything is possible. There are no boundaries, only dreams. And because what they build in their imagination is always real, each new discovery is met with unbridled joy.
Children are always exploring, changing, growing. They are unencumbered with “the way we’ve always done it.” Since everything is new, they are not afraid of the untried. Mistakes do not deter them. They are just a chance to try again, this time in a better way. They always seek to learn something new, to do something they could not accomplish yesterday. And when learning is fun, children are tireless. They never stop. It is their life.
And what do children see when they look in the mirror, when they peer deep inside themselves?
The whole world in miniature, of course. Because each thing they have looked upon, they have made a part of themselves. There is almost no sense of where they stop and where everything else begins. They are connected to it all, and they make a difference in it all. They are powerful beyond measure because at a moment’s notice, children can sacrifice all that they are for all that they could become.
Children are always asking, “Why?” They are curious. They are always wondering and wonderful. But there is one thing of which they are certain. They have no doubt of their uniqueness, no doubt of the fact there is no one else quite like them. And unless they are taught otherwise, there is nothing they can’t do.
So starting today, if we could have only one aspiration, let it be to see what they see. Because when we adopt their view of things, we will connect with them in a vibrant and vital way. And that relationship will make us all stronger.
Let’s build a place where kid’s orders are just as important as doctor’s orders. Let’s build a place where boundless energy and youthful exuberance are the norm, not the exception. Let’s use laughter as one of our key measures of success. And on those days when we don’t see our work as an adventure, or ourselves as the most important difference, let’s not trust our eyes, for our imagination is clearly out of focus.
When we see everything we do through the eyes of a child, we will have reached our goal. And then it will dawn on us. We haven’t healed the children. They have healed us.
Cardon Children's Medical Center is a comprehensive children's hospital that serves greater Phoenix, the state of Arizona and beyond.